'Les Miserables' celebrates 25 years

SCHENECTADY -- The production of "Les Miserables" opening Tuesday at Proctors Theatre is billed as the 25th anniversary production.

Over those years, the show has become a world-wide phenomenon. It originated in England and shortly thereafter moved to Broadway, where it played for 6,680 performances. Since its origin, it has toured 319 cities in

42 countries and was just made into a much-lauded film.

Perhaps a good way to illustrate the show's longevity is to note there will be many people in the cast who were not born when the show opened on Broadway in 1987.

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In fact, Lauren Wiley, who plays Cosette on this national tour, was only about 4 years old at the time of the original Broadway opening. "Les Miserables" was the first Broadway show she ever saw.

She became a professional actress almost immediately after graduating from the theater program at the University of Alabama 10 years ago. This is her third "Les Miserables" production and the second time she's played Cosette.

Wiley says this 25th Anniversary Tour is special.

"There's a lot of new staging," she said. "They've re-imagined a lot of the scenic elements and there is more use of projections. For some backdrops, they use images of an actual Victor Hugo painting, and there is a moving screen that makes the tunnel scene even more exciting."

However, Wiley said, it is the romantic elements in the show that capture her heart.

Cosette is Wiley's biggest "Les Miserable" role to date, and even though she has the least amount of stage time of the major and featured players, she joked, "My name is said a lot throughout the play, but I only have one solo number and a couple of duets with Marius."

Nonetheless, it is a pivotal role. Wiley describes her character as "a conduit of love and mercy."

"She's the person who teaches Valjean to love and, through her, he learns how to accept love. In return, Cosette gets to experience being loved by Marius."

Cosette is the daughter of Fantine, the poor, desperate woman who dies giving birth to her. Valjean saves the child from an abusive life and fulfills his promise to her dying mother to raise her as his own daughter. When, as a mature young woman, Cosette falls in love with the revolutionary Marius, Valjean risks his own safety to protect the man she loves.

Wiley believes the various forms of love shown throughout "Les Miserables" are what make the show so enduring.

"It's the purest form of love," she said in describing Valjean's love for Cosette. He is a hunted and haunted man, and Valjean's loyalty to Cosette places him at constant risk of being exposed and sent back to the prison from which he escaped.

Risking theater sacrilege, Wiley has a lot of nice things to say about the recent "Les Miserables" film.

"It's a totally different genre and they were able to do things with the characters that help their development," she said, speaking specifically of additional scenes in the film that show the evolution of the closeness between Cosette and Valjean. "It works great on stage, but I would love the luxury of more scenes to develop the relationship."

Most of all, Wiley is thrilled the film has introduced the story of "Les Miserables" to younger audiences.

But, will they be disappointed not to see Hugh Jackman on stage?

Wiley laughed and said maybe, but she's certain they'll leave falling in love with Peter Lockyer, "who is a wonderful Valjean."

'Les Miserables'

Where: Proctors Theatre, 432 State St., Schenectady

When: April 30 to May 5. Performances at 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, 2 p.m. Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.